Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta and Roasted Delicata Squash, is a super flavorful dinner idea that will make you feel warm and cozy on a cold, winter night.

I made these Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta and Roasted Delicata Squash for dinner shortly after we were thrust back into a frigid NY temps, from having spent a week basking in the Florida sun. During this time of year, we always crank up the heat in the house, have some hot tea and cravings for belly-warming dinners. This dish fit the bill perfectly. In fact, I had red wine already opened and decided that I need to use it to braise some delicious meat. I told my husband, that I’m making red wine braised short ribs and he just couldn’t wait for the final product.

Digressing for a second here… I’m so jealous of everyone who lives in a sunny state of Florida. It always seems so nice there. It seems like everything is cleaner: the roads, the trees, the birds… Oh yeah, I’m also obsessed with watching diving pelicans. It’s the coolest thing ever! The only thing that terrifies me about Florida is the hurricane season. Other then that I could totally envision myself living there. My in-laws moved from Connecticut to Siesta Key and they are living the dream (a really nice way to retire). Good for them. I hope to be in their shoes one day.

This trip was also the first time for me spending Thanksgiving in tropics. It was interesting to see Xmas decorations popping up right after Thanksgiving and surrounded by palm trees. This was also the first time I wasn’t cooking for Thanksgiving. Even though I do love cooking, and you can see it in my collection of My Favorite Thanksgiving recipes, it was a nice change of pace. With two little boys I really enjoyed and appreciated a stress-free Thanksgiving.

Alright, coming back to my red wine braised short ribs. This dish is absolutely delicious! The meat is soft and falls off the bones and the sauce is to die for. I used couple of my own tricks here that you probably won’t find in other red wine braised short rib recipes. I really like to add a lot of veggies to my sauce. They really make it very flavorful. For approximate 2.5 pound of short ribs I used:

Whole Vidalia Onion;

Almost whole garlic (about 6-7 cloves);

2 large carrots;

2 large celery sticks;

And my special ingredient….: whole bulb of fennel

I have a thing about cooked fennel. Whether it’s roasted or cooked in a stew, the raw liquorish taste cooks out to create some amazingly sweet deliciousness. I can’t even describe it; it’s just awesome. I use it as often as I can. If you like fennel like me, you may also like this Fennel Chicken Mediterranean Style recipe. It’s insane! Anyhow, for these red wine braised short ribs I used A LOT of wine. It was a heaping 2 cups of wine. And my other secret ingredient was: CINNAMON. It is so warming and elevates a dish to a totally different level. I use it often in my cooking. It’s huge in Greek cuisine which is one of my favorites.

I decided to serve my red wine braised short ribs with a parmesan polenta, because it’s also become my new obsession. Not only it is gluten free but also it’s also super easy to make. Takes about 5 to 8 minutes from start to finish. You’ll only need:

Water or chicken stock;

Polenta;

Parmesan Cheese;

Salt & pepper

As a side, I also served roasted delicata squash. It’s very flavorful and requires almost no work. You’ll just need to cut it into 1/2 moon shapes and get rid of the seeds. Then, season with salt & pepper, dried thyme, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. I braised my meat in the oven, so I popped the squash in the oven for the last 20 minutes of the braising process. The squash was a really nice addition to this very rich meat dinner with parmesan polenta.

If you’re looking for some a warming/hearty meal, look no further. I’m confident that you will fall in love with my version of Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta and Roasted Delicata Squash. Enjoy!

Parmesan Polenta

Add 3 cups of chicken stock into a pot. Bring to boil. Add polenta and stir for 5 minutes;

Add Parmesan Cheese, salt and pepper and mix well.

Roasted Delicata Squash

Place cut up squash on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, mix well and add to the 350F oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Polenta cooks quickly so start working on it when there is about 15 minutes left for meat braising process.

Add delicata squash to the oven with braising meat when there is about 20 minutes left for meat bracing process.

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Comments

I’m getting ready for -30 winter weather here in Canada and these look perfect for those cozy nights I’ll be having wrapped up in a cozy blanket. I love short ribs and these look so melt in your mouth good with a spoonful of that cheesy polenta!

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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Innocent Delight food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with cultivated passion for amazing food.Read More…

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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Innocent Delight food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with cultivated passion for amazing food.
I’m also a reformed New York State attorney, who practiced for several years only to thereafter decide that this was my real passion. Maybe one day I decided to step back to the courtroom, but in the meantime I’m enjoying spending my time with my kids, my husband, my kitchen and YOU! Read More…